What Mask Do You Wear?
by Fires of Darkness
Summary: The Tournament. After that whole thing, everything's a-o-k, right? Wrong. The ninja need to rely on each other to help them through the mess. But in the midst of the chaos, will two pairs become more than 'just friends' (BRUISESHIPPING AND GREENFLAME. DON'T LIKE DON'T READ)
1. I'm Lighthearted!

Chapter 1: I'm "Lighthearted!"

 **Sorry about the long wait between updates, end of school decided to throw Presentations of Learning at my face. Anyway, this idea just occurred to me as I was reading fanfiction. I, uh … I hope you like it …**

 **CAUTION: SELF-HARM, STUFF LIKE THAT.**

Jay couldn't sleep. It wasn't like he had insomnia or anything, just that his sleep schedule drastically changed; falling asleep early in the morning, only to oversleep later. This wasn't new to him at all. In fact, this routine had been going on for years. About the same time Jay grew out of being the shy kid in the corner of class to the kid always cracking jokes and finding the best in any situation.

Honestly, it was the only thing Jay could think of that would make people believe he was okay.

Spoiler alert: he wasn't.

Truth is, Jay had been bullied all his life. _Freak, waste of space, failure_ … all those words had become routine. Being shoved around, poked and prodded at to see when his breaking point was, it made him weaker. Not stronger, like the rest of the team believed. Weaker. What's even the point of a weak ninja?

Jay replayed the memories in his mind as he reached under his mattress. Kids in class would take turns firing insults at his face, seeing when he would snap. They really stung, some of them. Some of them were repeated, and Jay had grown used to them. The new ones, however, stung like fresh cuts.

 _"Aww, shortass still can't impress his father with his flying invention? Oh, wait a minute. His father doesn't even care!"_

 _"Shut up! Shut UP!" Jay chucked his pudding spoon at the girl, only adding her hatred towards him._

Jay was forced from his thoughts by his head colliding with something cold and hard. _'Ow.'_ The rest of Jay tumbled to the floor, knocking over the lamp on his bedside table with his foot. Something cold and sharp sliced Jay's right hand, before clattering to the ground. A bright light shone in Jay's face. He brought a hand up to shield his eyes from Kai's phone's flashlight. "Ugh, Jay, what the hell!? It's nearly midnight!" Kai whisper-yelled. _Exactly._ Jay cast a quick glance at the remaining beds, to find that no one else was awake, except him and Kai.

"Sorry," Jay apologized while rubbing the back of his head. A bump was already beginning to form where it had collided with the hardwood. "I zapped myself in my sleep." Jay then proceeded to set the lamp upright, kicking the knife under his bed in the process.

"Jay."

"Hey, I said sorry!"

"You're bleeding."

Jay shot a glance at his arms, thankful for his long sleeves. His eyes then turned to his right hand, which was indeed bleeding. A deep gash cut across most of his palm, and a dark red liquid was oozing out. Jay didn't even flinch. He mentally beat himself up. Of course, when he fell, his knife cut him. "Jay, where did that come from?" Kai asked, worried for his friend.

"How am I supposed to know?" Jay snapped. Kai flinched, startled that someone like Jay could say something like that. It just was that sudden jump from the happy, lighthearted Jay to the unfamiliar one. Jay saw the worry in Kai's face grow. "Sorry," Jay tugged at his blue pajama sleeve. "Let's head back to bed."

Before he could crawl into the warmth of his blankets, however, a firm hand was grabbing Jay's. Kai then proceeded to push up Jay's sleeve. "Stop!" Jay said in protest and attempted to shove Kai's hands away. However, he was too late. The skin on Jay's arm was exposed, revealing scars running up and down his arm, as well as across his wrist. Some were healed, others only a day old, most in that delicate state in between. Kai's grip loosened, before returning to his side. His phone fell into his red blanket, only allowing a small beam of light to get through.

Jay took this chance to crawl back into bed. He pulled the covers over his head and turned away from the Fire ninja.

"Why?" Kai's voice wasn't mad, upset … heck, he didn't even sound disappointed. Instead, he almost sounded … understanding?

"I don't need to tell you," Jay curled into a ball, "And I don't intend to."

Surprisingly, tonight Jay fell asleep earlier than he had for years.

* * *

In the morning, Jay woke to the sound of his alarm clock. "DON'T KILL THE BUNNY!" He screamed. It's been so long since Jay heard an alarm clock, he had almost forgotten what they sounded like. Jay rarely ever woke up at six.

Someone snickered to Jay's right. "Out of all the things to say when you wake up," Cole was still laughing, "You went with 'Don't kill the bunny'?!"

"Seriously, you're already forgetting what happened yesterday?" Lloyd asked incredulously. Jay instinctively leaned in a little closer. Lloyd got ready to imitate Cole. "NOO, NOT CAKEY! CAKEY DESERVES TO LIVE!" The group exploded into laughter. Cole flushed a red to rival Kai's old gi. Sputtering a few nonsense words, he fell back on his bed and under the pillow. _Why are you laughing? Isn't he your best friend? This is no better than what happened to you!_

"Hey! To be fair, Kai was about to torch a Double Chocolate Heaven!"

"Fine, I'm with you." Lloyd smiled at the thought of cake.

"Why wasn't I awake to hear that?" Jay kept with his facade of cheerfulness.

Kai raised his hand, as if he was a student in class. "I know why," he stated simply. The group's attention turned to him. While the others were curious, Jays wide eyes held a look of fear. _Don't_. But Kai didn't roll up Jay's sleeve. Instead, he proceeded to crawl under Jays bed. _No._ Kai returned a second later holding a steak knife. The air in the room seemed to grow tense, or was it just Jay?

"Hah, _that_." Jay quickly snatched the knife from Kai's hands, careful not to make eye contact. "Thaaat is for self-defense!" The weight of the air seemed to loosen a little.

"Jay's idea is logical," Zane piped in. "Should anyone attack during the night, we shall not be completely defenseless." Sighing with relief, Jay nodded.

The Fire Master moved to sit on Jay's bed. "Except he doesn't use it for self-defense at all." Jay wriggled a few inches away from him. "In fact," Kai grabbed Jay's hand, much like last night. Except this time, Jay didn't fight. He knew he lost. "It's quite the opposite." In one quick motion, Kai shoved Jay's sleeve up. If the room could be any tenser than before, it was.

"Holy shit," Lloyd stated, before he took a seat right next to Jay. No one bothered to smack him for swearing. Cole, who was watching the scene from under his pillow, got up without saying a word and hugged Jay from behind. Jay's heart … fluttered? No, that couldn't be right.

Cole released from the hug and did something no one expected. He took off his shirt. And while there was some muscle on his shoulders and arms, not much could be said about his torso. The only thing separating ribs from air was a thin layer of skin and blood. "Ever since the Tournament, I wasn't really hungry."

Kai took his shirt off next. Burns were scattered all over his body. Some on his arms, some his back, others on his chest. Most were scars, long healed, although a couple were still fresh. "Don't worry," Kai spoke, "They heal fast when you're the Master of Fire."

Lloyd rolled up his sleeves and revealed smooth skin. "Clean!" He said with pride. Jay didn't trust his smile.

"Legs."

Lloyd smile vanished. "Fine." He rolled up his right pant leg. Similar to Jay, knife scars ran up and down, side to side. "I wasn't strong enough, and my dad had to pay the price. It should be me in the Cursed Realm."

"LLOYD!" Kai yelled at the kid. "You're eleven!"

Zane stood in the corner. "This does not compute. Why do you all harm yourselves?" The room was silent for a moment, until Zane continued. "Pixal is crying."

"It's different for each of us," Kai explained. "I guess I'll go first."

 **The fifth of two**

 **Will go by so fast**

 **Add itself again**

 **That will be my last**

 **Since it's now summer *cue thunderous applause* I'm just gonna update whenever I finish a chapter.**


	2. I Have Great Self-Esteem!

Chapter 2: I Have "Great Self-Esteem!"

 **Oh my god I'm so sorry! I just haven't had the motive to write for so long. Truth is, I still kinda don't, but I'll do whatever I can to make everyone else happy. So please forgive my trashy writing.**

 **Review replies:**

 **GreenFlame-Lover-Forever, Yaoi-is-Life123, and MorroAndJaylynn: Here you go! Update!**

 **Steampunk Wilson: I do this for reasons of my own. Sorry that you nearly cried. I was just reading someone else's fanfiction and thought 'What would happen if Kai burned himself?' And this was born.**

Everyone had gathered on the three lower beds as Kai was preparing to tell his tale.

"When I was little," Kai began, "my father dropped a sword while forging it. I was young; I didn't know that red-hot metal could burn you. I grabbed it to hand it back to him. I got burned."

"Shit," Lloyd replied, earning a smack on the head from Cole. Jay couldn't help but wince. Sure, the kid had bad choice of words, but he's also been through a lot. If it had been Jay himself in that position…

Kai glared at the blond. "Lloyd! You're eleven!" He shouted.

"Well, technically I'm seventeen," Lloyd responded sassily. Jay had to admit; for someone who believes that he belongs in the Cursed Realm, Lloyd hides it well. Jay would never had guessed he would be the one to cut. _Hah, now I know how everyone else feels._

Quickly, he shook the thought from his mind. The more he thinks about it, the more Jay remembers. All he wants is to forget.

"Well, technically you're mentally eleven," Cole joined in on the conversation. No one had noticed, but he had time to put his shirt back on. Kai, however, had not. His burned flesh was still exposed to the air. It was still quite surprising to see. Jay had always thought that Kai, Master of Fire, Super-Hot Guy, My-Life-Is-More-Important-Than-Yours had, like, superhuman ego and self-esteem.

What happened to the Kai he knew, the Kai from just yesterday?

"Well, as long as he doesn't insult anyone-"

The floorboards squeaked. A door closed. Someone yawned.

 _Nya_.

"Kai, why the hell are you shouting?" Nya's beautiful voice mixed with the turning of the doorknob made Jay still with fear. If she found out anything about him, she wouldn't like him anymore, she'd leave. _Like the rest of them_. Slowly, the door opened. "It's six ten in the morning-"

Nya's voice caught in her throat. Her eyes had landed on her older brother; his chest, which was covered in burns; his eyes, which had begun to well with tears. The samurai shook her head a couple times, not wanting to believe it. Her wide eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Kai..." Jay could only watch. Watch as Kai's sister ran, ran from one of the brightest role models of her life.

Kai leapt from the bed he was sitting at, ducking just in time to avoid the bunk. "Nya!" He grabbed his shirt and took off after her. Jay wanted to go as well, but knew that he should stay where he was. This was something he wasn't supposed to interrupt. This was Kai's talk. His confession.

The room held a heavy silence. Occasionally they would hear Nya or Kai raising their voice, but for the most part it was too quiet. Zane was still processing the information, trying to understand why and how this all happened. Cole was fiddling with the bedsheet, lost in his own thoughts. Lloyd was quietly whimpering. Jay felt bad for the kid. He was too young for any of this to happen.

After what felt like an eternity but couldn't have been more than ten minutes, the siblings returned. Nya's face showed no emotion, but her puffed eyes clearly said she had been crying. Jay's heart nearly broke. His girlfriend hardly ever broke down like that. It really was quite amazing that Kai had kept such a huge secret from her for so long.

Solemnly, the female sat on the bed next to Jay. Her hand clasped onto the ginger's. Jay took it. _But this can't be right_. Usually when Nya held his hand, the world seemed to fade, and Jay would calm almost instantaneously. Yet this time, it almost felt like … no. No, it was just because we just found out secrets about each other. That's why this feels wrong. That's why Jay didn't feel as attracted to her as he had before.

"Sorry you had to find us like this," Jay told Nya, and he could've sworn he saw the green ninja jump a little. "Sorry we woke you up."

"Trust me. Next time, I'd rather know."

Cole stopped focusing on his thoughts and instead returned to the world. "Speaking of knowing, should Kai finish his story?" The group all nodded simultaneously.

Kai took a seat next to Lloyd. "So … I was burned, right?" The kid nodded. "Okay, well, a day later it had healed. I was really little at the time, but even I knew that was really quick."

"First degree burns can take anywhere from three to twenty days to heal." Zane stated for reference.

The fire ninja nodded. "Yeah, exactly. I never really thought much about it." His gaze shifted to the floor. "Until shortly after, when... um..." Lloyd seemed to sense Kai's emotional distress, and wrapped him in a big hug. The red one stiffened slightly, before returning the gesture. A single tear managed to escape Kai's eye. Jay's heart broke (in an incredibly platonic way). When was the last time Kai had cried?

Zane's funeral. When his brother had died-

Oh. That's what happened.

The 'Christmas team' released from the hug, and Kai immediately wiped his face with his sleeve. "Our parents died soon after. I had to grow up so fast to care for Nya." Under different circumstances, Nya would've scoffed and said 'Obviously not fast enough.' However, this time she remained silent. Jay's grip on the water ninja tightened slightly. "I was five, and I had to become thirteen.

"Then Wu found me, and after I- _we_ saved Nya, I was really, truly happy." Kai smiled to himself, remembering the days when Ninjago was the most peaceful it had ever been. Then, as suddenly as the smile appeared, it had vanished. Jay noticed his gaze seemed almost … _darker_. "And then Lloyd."

Lloyd, who had been staring at the floor since the embrace, suddenly jerked his head up, hitting his head on the top bunk. "Careful, young one," Cole teased. Rubbing his head, Lloyd glared in return, although he couldn't keep the small smile from creeping onto his face.

"Am I really that important in this story?" The green ninja asked innocently.

Kai nodded, still gazing at the floor. Jay noticed he was almost … _blushing_? But Kai never blushes! It would ruin his 'perfect reputation'! "I guess I was enjoying the peace," he started fidgeting with the covers. "And the popularity," The fire master added with a laugh. "Then the Green Ninja came along." The red ninja shrunk back slightly. "Suddenly everyone was talking about the 'Saviour of Ninjago'. And not me."

Now it was Lloyd's turn to become smaller. "Sorry for taking that from you," he apologized, "I just … sorry."

"You cannot apologize for something you cannot control." Zane assured Lloyd.

Kai looked up. "No, the kid's right." Zane was taken aback. "Before I smashed Chen's staff, all that I wanted was him gone, and for me to wear that cursed gi." All of the remaining ninja were speechless. The air in the room grew even tenser than before. "I don't blame you for hating me."

Jay jumped to his feet. "We could never hate you! Don't think things like that!" The group all nodded in agreement.

Kai smiled, although Jay could tell it was clearly fake. He's seen it in the mirror enough times to tell. Nevertheless, the lightning ninja sat back down. "Thanks, but that's not everything. I think I might be-" he cut himself off, his eyes growing ever so slightly wider. Jay knew that whatever Kai was about to say, he was super embarrassed about it. Which, more often than not, meant that it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Come on, Kai," Cole comforted him, "At least it can't be worse than me."

 _No, Cole. That is_ not _what you say._

However, Kai seemed to be more confident, with Cole's words empowering him. "I think I'm … ugh, forget it." Getting to his feet, he ran out of the room. He slammed the door for dramatic effect (which he seemed to get really good at recently.)

"Kai, wait!" Jay called out, before releasing from Nya's hand and rushing out to catch up to him.

 **My goodness that took so much longer than I had expected. I promise I'll dedicate more time to writing, even if I have to glare at my screen for half an hour before I have a good idea. Next chapter won't take as long as this, I swear. Cross my heart.**


	3. Now They All Know

Chapter 3: Now They All Know

 **I wanted this out on Halloween … gosh darn it.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Steampunk Wilson: I'm so happy that this is one of your favourite stories! And my goodness, I keep forgetting about Pixal! Zane will have to speak for her, of course, but she will totally be in this chapter. And as for Nya, you'll have to see :P**

 **Yaoi-is-Life123: I'm glad I made you feel better! Although I must admit, if reading my trash makes you feel happy, I can't help but feel so warm and cuddly! Thanks for making my day a little better as well.**

 **GreenFlame-Lover-Forever: … I certainly hope not literally … but it is nice to know that you enjoy it!**

Jay found Kai a short while later sitting on the dragon's head on the bow of the ship, staring off into the forest where they had landed the night before. The October air was chilling and damp, and Kai hated the cold. How the hell is he surviving out here? The lightning ninja got his answer as he stepped closer; Kai had lit a small fire in his palm. Instinctively, he nearly cried out and put it out himself, knowing what he did, but stopped when he realized he was just keeping himself warm.

The Lightning master stepped up beside him and sat down, the heat from the flame not quite cancelling out the chilly air. "Hey, I've been looking everywhere for you, buddy," he spoke quietly. A few moments passed before he had to talk again. "That won't … your fire won't burn you, right?"

Kai smiled. "Nah. My fire can't burn me. It kinda tickles though."

Now it was Jay's turn to smile. "For you too? I thought I was the only one."

"Maybe every elemental master tickle when they use their power."

"Maybe."

The deck was silent again for a few seconds, before Jay got straight to the point. "So, about back there, what did you think you were? 'Cuz if you think you're unlovable then you're totally wrong! We all love you! And if you think you're depressed then just noticing it is good! Then you can-"

"Pan."

Jay shut up, and only barely noticed Kai's flame flicker. "Huh?"

The fire ninja tensed up only slightly, but still enough for Jay to clearly notice. "I'm … pansexual."

Jay whispered a soft 'oh'. That actually explains quite a bit … no, no it really doesn't. Jay hadn't noticed anything, not a dang thing. How bad of a friend must he be to not see anything? To not even be there when his brother is suffering?

No. Nya wouldn't want him to think like this. And Jay could tell that Kai was feeling the same kind of pain. Maybe even worse, because of his orientation. So, he did the only sensible thing.

He hugged Kai.

Immediately, Kai recoiled and snapped, "What the _hell_?!" Shoving Jay to the side, he leapt up and stormed off. The blue ninja lay there, frozen in shock. He was there, and they were smiling, and then he was gone. _You hate me now, don't you? Don't you hate me, Kai?_

Jay didn't realize he was walking until he was outside their bedroom door. On the other end of the Bounty, he could hear a punching bag getting destroyed, so Kai was not an option to talk to. Then again, he would definitely hate him if he told the team about his orientation.

Before Jay could decide where to go, however, the bedroom door burst open and Lloyd rushed out, crashing into the blue ninja. They both tumbled to the floor, landing in a tangled heap in the hallway. Lloyd managed to untangle himself almost instantaneously and jumped up to his feet. "Why the rush, kid?" Jay asked, rubbing his head where it had hit the wall. _That's been taking a beating lately._

"It's Cole," Lloyd stated, slightly panicked.

And that was enough to make Jay panicked as well.

 **COLE, THIRD PERSON**

An awkward silence hung heavy in the air after Jay ran off to find Kai. Cole had wrapped himself in his blanket, feeling suddenly cold without more humans in the room. Come to think of it, he had been cold the whole time. Perhaps it was just the situation that prevented him from feeling it.

A brief moment passed before Zane stood. Lloyd nearly jumped. "I will go make breakfast," he stated simply before walking out of the room. As he closed the door, however, Coke was nearly certain he whispered, "Yes, Pixal, I am very well aware of that."

"So," Cole began shortly after Zane left, "Two is a lot easier to talk to than five. Might as well tell you what's wrong with me now."

"Cole, there's nothing wrong with you." Nya reassured him. The black ninja retreated further into his blanket in response. Or was it just because he was freezing? He couldn't decide; it was getting difficult to think. And concentrate. Cole just wanted to curl up and sleep, but he carried on nonetheless.

"Everyone has something that's wrong with them. You just weren't here when we discussed it."

Lloyd's head shot up almost immediately. "I'mfinethough!" He rushed through the words, making them sound almost Jay-like. Nya stared at him, doubtful. At least a minute passed like this before Lloyd gave in. "Fine, okay, I'm not." He retreated back to his bed.

A few short seconds of silence followed, before a shout of "What the _hell_?!" echoed throughout the Bounty.

"Looks like Jay found Kai," Lloyd joked. No one laughed in response.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness came over Cole. However, he had to stay strong for the team, so he said nothing about it. "Anyway, about earlier..." He didn't have the energy to continue. Black began to creep from the edges of his vision to the center.

His last thought before he passed out was, _Am I finally dying?_

 **Sorry that this chapter was so short. I feel like ever since I started writing sad stuff, I've had more ideas, but less motivation to write. It's a weird feeling.**

 **However, I decided that we play a quick game. You all have played Two Lies and a Truth, right? No? Okay, it's simple. I'll say three statements, and you have to pick which one is true. Easy.**

 **Anyway, here they are:**

 **A: The next chapter will be out in one week**

 **B: The next chapter will not exist**

 **C: The next chapter will be written by the fans**

 **Stay safe, peoples!**

 **-Hannah**


	4. Supposed To Be Strong

Chapter 4: Supposed to Be Strong

 **IT'S STILL SATURDAY! THE ANSWER IS STILL 'A'! However, I had originally intended for it to be C. I guess my knife wasn't sharp enough to cut my bread.**

 **Review replies:**

 **BlacknBlue102: Thank you!**

 **Steampunk Wilson: Lol you can't pick all three! And don't worry, Kai will come back.**

 **WarriorNerd-000: I'm glad to know you enjoy this!**

Lloyd gazed down at the floor, listening to Cole's voice. This would be a lot less uncomfortable if Kai had been here. Then again, Kai would try too hard to make sure his brothers were okay. And useful energy would be wasted on a kid. A kid who released the serpentine to get rid of all the good in the world, just to follow in his father's footsteps.

God, why was this so confusing?

Lloyd wanted Kai to stay away from him …

… but he also wanted him to hug him and never let go!

Suddenly, a soft _thwump_ echoed throughout the room, and Lloyd's head shot up to find Cole unconscious on his bed. A few moments passed without anyone speaking, before Lloyd jumped up and was at Cole's side in an instant. Lloyd repeated Cole's name over and over, with no response.

"Go get Zane," Nya whispered, barely audible and clearly panicked. Lloyd nodded and ran over to the door, threw it open-

And crashed straight into Jay.

* * *

True to his word, Zane had begun to cook breakfast. Cooking was one of the few skills he had retained after his transition to titanium. Frying some bacon, he spoke to a crying Pixal, desperate to calm her down.

"You don't understand, do you?" Pixal asked between sobs.

"No, I don't," Zane responded, flipping a piece of bacon, "but I still want to help."

"You can't!" the female robot practically shouted. Zane froze. "Don't you see? They're so far gone already that we don't know what will help them and what will only give them false hope! Whatever we say may damage them more than they already are!"

"But we can't just leave them! This feeling has been growing inside of them for so long that if we just let them sort it out themselves, they'll hurt themselves again!"

The smell of burnt bacon slowly began to fill the kitchen.

"If we try to help them, they could do much worse!"

"Pixal, I love you, but can you please shut up?"

Before Pixal could respond, Lloyd came stumbling into the kitchen, Jay following right behind. "Zane!" Lloyd ran up and grabbed the nindroid's hand, dragging him away from the stove. "It's Cole." Jay nodded frantically, almost so hard that it seemed his head could pop right off and roll across the floor. No one seemed to notice the quickly-burning bacon abandoned on the stove as they ran back to the boys' room.

Lloyd threw open the door as soon as he was close enough to touch it. Nya stood up almost immediately, concern flooding her face. "He's fainted, but we don't know why."

"Undernourishment," Zane responded before even looking at the earth ninja. Stepping closer, he continued, "He'll wake up soon."

Almost as if to prove Zane correct, Cole groaned and rubbed his head. He sniffed twice and simply said, "I thought Kai was supposed to cook on Thursday..."

"I think he'll be okay," Jay sighed, relieved.

All at once, the team noticed the smell of burnt bacon and stared wide-eyed at Zane, who looked terribly guilty. "You burned something?" Lloyd asked incredulously.

"I suppose I must have." The ice ninja replied. A short moment passed before the team burst into laughter. Jay knew that this was no time to be laughing, especially since Kai was feeling so hopeless. But he couldn't help it. Cole waking up and just expecting Kai to be cooking was such a way to lighten the mood.

"Zane, you should go get that," Nya spoke once the laughter had died down, "We don't want the Bounty to go up in flames."

The ice ninja nodded once and set off to the kitchen. He came back within a few minutes. "It's quite smoky in the kitchen." He stated simply.

"Noted," Nya responded.

"Anyway," Cole began, earning attention from the other four. "Story time from yours truly?"

Before Cole could even blink, the others had gathered around the other bottom bunk beds, eagerly awaiting his tale. "Wow, my story must be really interesting already."

"Well," Jay spoke up, "You're a really great friend-" _That's all he is to you._ "-and we want you to be happy." _Because releasing someone's past on themselves is_ such _a great way to make someone happy._

Cole smiled in return. "Thanks Jay. That helps a little." A moment passed, before he let out a short, nervous laugh. "Sorry, I'm just forcing myself to do this...

"I'm gay."

… Okaaaaaayyy, not what Jay was expecting. And not what anyone else was expecting either, due to their shocked faces.

"But, when we were fighting the Digital Overlord," Nya started.

"I thought you just wanted to be better friends!" Cole was still smiling. "I didn't know you actually liked me."

"See, I wouldn't normally call someone ignorant," everyone whipped their heads around to the door, "but _dude_ , my sister was practically flirting with you!" Kai was leaning against the doorframe, appearing nonchalant.

Before anyone could respond to the sudden arrival of the fire ninja, however, a distant shout called from across the Bounty: "Ninja! Would you like to see how the tea shop is coming along?"

 _No. Not right now._

 **I'm going to take a short hiatus from fanfiction, at least until I either get my inspiration and motive back or I prewrite a little bit of stuff. Perhaps both. I expect I shall be back in the new year. Things have been a little hard for me right now, but I promise I'll be back as soon as I can!**

 **Stay strong, everyone!**

 **-Hannah**


	5. Tea Shop Planning

Chapter 5: The Tea Shop Planning

 **Okay, let's see here. It should be early March right now, so I am a little bit late... but it's not that bad- WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S ALMOST JUNE?!**

 **Oops...**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Steampunk Wilson: Ah ah ah! Spoilers! In all seriousness though, I wasn't expecting this story to get as popular as it did. I just wanted to pour all my feelings into a story and chuck it out the window. But now that I have favourites on this, I have to make backstories and all that good stuff. Half oops, half hooray?**

 **sister mismagius: Yup, screw Greenflame! Christmas shipping now! But still, these kinds of reviews mean a lot to me. They're what let me know I'm at least doing something right here. Thank you for all your positive support!**

 **PrismaPup7: Awhh, thanks for the nice review! And I agree; the lack of trauma is very unrealistic. I can understand it though, Ninjago being a 'children's' show and all.**

Kai's sudden arrival was immediately pushed to the back of everyone's minds as everyone scrambled to get ready. Nya would've been out of the boys' room in two seconds flat if she didn't trip over Lloyd, who appeared to be wrestling with a blanket on the floor. And was losing. Cole had managed to stand up and walk to his dresser without problem, whereas Jay was running around the room at sonic speed trying to find his favourite shirt.

Amidst all the chaos, the clicking of Wu's staff on the hardwood grew ever closer.

However, by some miracle, every ninja was dressed and at least semi-presentable by the time Sensei Wu reached the boys' room. Nya had managed to sneak across the hallway to get ready. The door opened.

"You all have some explaining to do," Wu began. Every single red alert began blaring in Jay's head, so loud that he was sure that Neuro could hear it even from wherever he was now. What does he mean by 'explaining?!' Does he-

Does he know about me?

"Tell me," The teenagers in the room all held their breath. "Why is there so much smoke in the kitchen?"

"Oh, _that_ , ahaha," Jay released a shaky breath. Thankfully, Sensei didn't seem to notice. "Kai tried to make bacon."

"I figured," Wu responded. A moment passed before he turned and began walking out of the room, "Come. The building has been restored and it is nearly time to furnish it." He paused, before turning back to the teenagers. "That is assuming you had breakfast?"

Kai joined in on the conversation. "No, we didn't. We'll just grab a yogurt or something on the way out." Wu nodded and left the room, presumably to talk to Nya. The ninja shared a collective sigh of relief before heading to the kitchen to get some breakfast.

After a quick meal (Cole eating at least three protein bars, making Jay very happy), the ninja set out on their way to the tea shop. The Bounty had not yet been parked beside the building, and Wu had requested a walk. Jay could only assume it was a team-building exercise, what with the recent fights between him and Cole. That, or he knew absolutely everything and was just playing oblivious.

Nevertheless, Jay enjoyed being able to walk with Cole again. It was oddly comforting, not having this huge secret that he used to guard with his life.

Cole, on the other hand, was trying desperately to not think about the events that had transpired that morning. He found when he was young that walks in nature calmed his mind better than anything else. The mountainous landscape wasn't heavily forested, but the scent of trees remained, mixing with the scent of the earth, and the rain he knew was coming soon. He smiled and let the peace take over him, drowning out all the distractions-

"Whatcha thinking about?"

"Smashing your head with a rock for disrupting my silence."

"Valid." Jay turned his head to face the path again. A moment passed. "Are you still mad at me?"

Now it was Cole's turn to look at Jay. "Hm?"

Jay didn't look up. "You know, when we were fighting. I hated yelling at you but I did it anyway. I just..." Jay tried to make himself smaller. "Are you still angry with me?"

"Dude," Cole grabbed Jay's arm, making the ginger flinch slightly. Cole either didn't notice, or ignored it. "I don't hate you. I never did. Do you realize how hard it is to not enjoy spending time with you? I mean, sure you're a little annoying at times-"

" _Hey._ "

"-but that doesn't mean I hate you."

Jay walked in silence for a moment, unsure of how to respond. "Oh..." he finally spoke. "Thanks."

The rest of the trip was made in silence, save the occasional joke at someone's (Kai's) expense after him tripping on a rock he 'didn't see.' Once they arrived at the top of the mountain, a lone building stared back at them. The sound of a small waterfall filled their ears, and the rocky landscape made Cole feel much safer.

Aside from the building which would soon become the tea shop, there really wasn't much else to look at. There was a wall, and a well, and a few very tall, very bare trees. And rocks. And sand.

"Well, this is … _inviting_ ..." Kai chose his words carefully as to not hurt Sensei's feelings.

"I like the waterfall." Nya spoke up. "It's really pretty."

"I knew you would..." Wu whispered, before continuing forward, with the ninja (and Nya) still in place. "Come inside," Wu spoke over his shoulder. "You can help plan."

Everyone remained quiet as they entered the soon-to-be tea shop. Everything was completely bare. There were no shelves, no counter, nothing except for walls, a floor, and a ceiling. "Okay, planning!" Jay ran to the centre of the room. "Let's see..." Pointing to different spots in the room, he spoke, "Shelves, shelves, more shelves... I guess a counter could go there... and tea goes pretty much everywhere! Done! Can we leave now?"

"Jay," Wu used his 'I-Am-Very-Much-Not-Impressed' tone of voice. "Please take this seriously."

Jay sighed. "K. Serious. Got it."

"I do like where Jay wanted to put the counter," Cole walked to the centre of the room, gesturing to the floor. "I say it goes here."

Jay allowed himself a small smile, half because Cole liked _his_ idea, and half because, well, _Cole_ liked his idea.

It wasn't long after that Zane had made digital layouts of how the shop was to be furnished, and where certain types of tea will be. The team were then (finally) able to return to the Bounty. By now it was past time for lunch, must have been nearly two. Jay thought that Wu was keeping a closer eye on everyone than usual, but he brushed it off as him being paranoid.

There was no way he knew. He can't know.

 **This chapter was giving me heck for TOO LONG. I say we just THROW IT OUT TO THE WORLD AND LET IT FEND FOR ITSELF.**

 **But now that this is done, I think updates will be a little bit smoother. School won't end for another month, and after that I have curling camp. But then, THEN I'm FREE! Expect me to be a lot more active from now on!**

 **See y'all (hopefully) soon!**


	6. Could You Two Just Date Already?

Chapter 6: Could You Two Just Date Already?

 **I have a music playlist that I use specifically for writing this story. Songs on it include (but are not limited to): Dead Inside (Skillet), Bad Guy (Set It Off), My Demons (Starset), Killer (The Ready Set), and Sandcastle Kingdoms (NateWantsToBattle). All of them are great and I recommend a listen!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Guest: SeNsEi Wu No OnE cArEs AbOuT yOuR tEa**

 **PrismaPup7: Yes, I still live! And I figured since Kai is the Fire Ninja he should have at least some difficulty with the cooking of food.**

 **Ah, Sensei... he is a strange one, isn't he? With all his cryptic messages... (And I reply to every review [really says something about my popularity, doesn't it?], so you can be excited again!)**

 **Steampunk Wilson: So about two and a half hours ago as I write this reply, I woke up, and I saw a review from you. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! And yes, Jay's feelings are showing (though he doesn't know what those feelings are just yet!) I really enjoyed writing the tea shop scene personally. Despite how rushed I find it, that part was definitely the one that came to me the best.**

 **NinjaHeart224: Thank you so much! Yeah, I pretty much live for Jay x Cole, platonically or romantically. Isso CUTE!**

"Food!" Jay yelled as soon as the Bounty was in sight, before running towards it much like he did the very first time he laid eyes on it. "Finally!" He didn't check if the others were following; he just leapt straight onto the ship and into the kitchen. It was less than a minute later when he was holding a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

He took a bite then turned to the doorway, where Kai was just walking through. "Could've waited for us." He mumbled, before collapsing on one of the chairs.

"Someone's in a bad mood," Jay replied, taking a seat as well. "Sensei ban you from the kitchen for 'burning the food'?" ' _Hey, that rhymed.'_

"Yeah. I'm not even allowed to make toast for a month."

Cole, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, lightly ruffled Kai's hair. "And for good reason, Mr Firestarter."

Kai leapt out of his chair. "Dude! Not the hair!" He shook a fist at the Earth master.

"Hey," Jay tossed his half-eaten sandwich on the counter, before walking up to Cole. "Speaking of hair, you've got uhh … you've got a twig or something in yours."

"I do?" Cole ran his hand through his hair a few times, trying to find the supposed twig.

"No no no," The ginger picked up Cole's hand and returned it to his side. "I got this. Stay still." Jay reached up to grab the twig, but his hand couldn't quite reach it. Standing on his tiptoes, he tried again. No luck. Jay huffed. "Alright, Cole. Since you're too tall, I guess I'm gonna have to jump."

The raven-haired barely had time to protest before Jay leapt up, wrapping his arms and legs around him. Jay, now tall enough, plucked the twig from Cole's hair with a mighty "Aha!" Before he hopped down, however, Jay took a moment to pet Cole's hair. "Wow, your hair is sooo soft!"

"It is? I don't really notice that stuff."

"Can you guys just go on a date already?" Lloyd spoke from the doorway, where he had been lurking for the past minute. Jay and Cole's eyes widened, and they glanced from each other to Lloyd multiple times. Jay hopped down to the floor, landing softly on the hardwood. "Don't think I didn't notice the looks you get when you see each other. It's adorable."

"Whoa- I just ... I was … I'm _straight!_ " Jay finally managed to blurt out.

"Mhm," Lloyd replied, crossing his arms, "And my middle name isn't Montgomery."

The Ice ninja walked in not a moment later. "But Lloyd, your middle name is indeed Mongomery."

Shaking his head, Lloyd sighed. "Sarcasm, Zane."

"Oh." Zane sat on one of the chairs. "I do agree with Jay and Cole dating, however. It is quite romantic."

"Come on!" Jay threw his arms up in the air, collapsing in one of the chairs surrounding the table. "Not you too! There is no way the two of us are going to date! Ever."

"We'll see," Kai said in a sing-song voice. Jay glared at him.

"Whatever." Rising from his chair, Jay walked over to where Kai was sitting. He gave the Fire master a light punch on the shoulder, before taking his sandwich and running into the hallway.

"Hey!" Kai shouted. "Why am _I_ the only one being attacked?!"

His question remained unanswered, however, as Zane was running after Jay, trying to remind him of the "No Food Outside of the Kitchen and Dining Room After the _Sitar Legend_ Incident" rule.

* * *

 _'You have a new message.'_

Cole: _Are you sure?_

Curious, Jay closed the sci-fi book he was reading and looked at the new message. His brows furrowed in confusion. What was Cole referring to?

Jay: _Sure about what?_

Cole: _Being straight_

Oh. Of course, he meant that. Why wouldn't he, with all the drama that happened a few hours ago.

Jay: _I think so? Why?_

Cole: _Because, well..._

Cole: _Remember how I said I was gay?_

 _'Oh gosh,'_ Jay thought. _'I think I see where this is going.'_

Jay: _Yeah?_

Cole: _Well, there's this guy I like_

Cole: _He's really funny, and nice, and adorable, and he likes peanut butter and banana sandwiches_

Cole: _And I really like him_

The ginger had a funny feeling he knew _exactly_ where this was headed.

Jay: _He sounds like a good guy_

Cole: _He's also really short_

Aaaaaand that was the sentence that gave it away.

Jay: _Random question_

Jay: _Is he me?_

Cole: _Who else do you know that's as short as you are?_

Jay: _...I'm not sure if I should be offended by that last message_

Cole: _Just take it as a compliment, Zaptrap_

Jay: _Fine, Dirtclod_

Jay: _My turn_

Jay: _Truth is..._

Jay paused for a moment, unsure how to continue. On one hand, he still enjoyed time with Nya. More than anything. But on the other... there's _Cole_...

Jay: _I think I like you too? Although I'm not sure exactly what I'm feeling..._

"I KNEW IT!" Kai's voice echoed throughout the Bounty.

It took Jay a second to process what just happened. When he did, he leapt out of his bed and stormed over to the dining room, shouting "KAI! WAS THIS ALL YOUR IDEA?!"

 **I have a few things to say to you guys. I'm just going to address them one at a time.**

 **1) Sorry for all of those who wanted more Sad(^TM) in this chapter. I've been in a really fluffy mood for the past few weeks and, to be honest, really wanted to start with the Bruise. There will be more Sad(^TM) in the coming chapters, don't worry!**

 **2) I have recently discovered I'm bigender. So that's a thing.**

 **3) Fun Fact: The 6,969th word in this story is "and."**

 **Love you guys! Stay safe!**


	7. I'm rewriting this story

**Okay...**

 **As the title of the chapter suggests, I am totally rewriting my story. It isn't because of popularity, I honestly don't care if my stories get popular. No, it's because I feel as though the early chapters were not the best they can be.**

 **[And I kinda don't ship Greenflame anymore]**

 **I will be reuploading this story as soon as I can. I do hope you all can understand.**

 **Thank you for reading my story.**

 **-Fires of Darkness**


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